A great activity for high school/college students who have held jobs.  Give them the option to reflect on the experiences  of their first jobs through the written word or via short 2-3 minute video.  To get them started thinking about this, here’s an entertaining audio about the travails of a Weinermobile driver:

Here are a set of reflection questions that you might consider (my answers below):

• How did you get your first job?
  • Dog walker at age 7/8
• What were the basic responsibilities that your job entailed?  Was the job flexible enough for you to go beyond these basic responsibilities?
  • Walk my neighbor’s dog 2X/day in rain, sleet or snow which was standard for New Jersey winters.
• How would you describe your manager’s style?  Was it effective in managing your work?  Why or why not?
  • Mrs. B was an elderly woman who had broken her hip.  She was always very appreciative when I showed up and when I brought dog back from a good run.  I remember nice conversations with her also as she had an interesting life as an Italian immigrant who was a successful restauranteur (she made a great pizza from scratch)!
• Did you receive any feedback about how you were performing?  Was that useful?
  • She was always very positive in her feedback which motivated me to show up every day.  If I was ever late, there was the risk the dog would become anxious and you know what could happen next.
• How much did you earn in the job?  Did this change how you thought about money?
  • I think it was $5/week (or about $24 in today’s dollars).  Every Friday I would amble down to the bank to deposit it which started a lifelong habit. I knew how much work went into earning it (14 dog walks/week), so couldn’t see spending it on stuff that I didn’t really want.
• What did you like most/least about your job?
  • Helping out Mrs. B. was the best part.  Also it was great exercise as the fox terrier that I walked, Dice, had a ton of energy and our walks were usually runs.  The worst part:  being chased around the neighborhood by a Mastif who didn’t take kindly to Dice.
• What was your best day at work like?  What made it so extraordinary?
  • No one day really stood out. 40+ years later I still remember our great conversations as she was quite a storyteller.  I also remember the great degree of responsibility I felt with this job.
• What did your first job teach you about the “world of work?”
  • The importance of being reliable.  In this case, the consequences of not being there to walk the dog were nearly catastrophic to an elderly person with mobility issues.  I am not sure I ever missed a day (my Mom was good at reminding me of these things!) I also learned the importance of listening to and serving the customer. If the dog needed an extra walk, I did it no questions asked (the advantage of an adult asking a 7 year old to do something is they usually say yes, or at least I did!).

Enjoy!

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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